Hair clipper



Nov. 13, 1928. I 1,691,270

, J. H. DONNELLON HAIR CLIPPER Filed Dec. 51, 1925 g /5; 19 for. g fljww w Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,691,270 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H, DONNELLON, OF EVANS'ION, WYOMING; MILDRED A. DONNELLON ADHmIS' TRATRIX OF SAID JOHN H. DONNELLON, DECEASED.

HAIR CLIPPER.

Application filed December 31, 1925. Serial No. 78,544.

' The purpose of this invention is to provide ahair clipper for barbers use adapted for producing shingled hair trim, and which may be adjusted to vary the minimum length 5 of stubble while still remaining adapted for graduating the cut from such varied minimum to produce the shingled effect. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section longitudinally of the comb teeth of a hair clipper'embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail section of the comb and cutter plates of the same construction shown in Figure 1, showing the comb memher at a difierent adjustment from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an underside plan view of the comb member.

Figure 4 is a section at the line 4-4 on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a direct forward end elevation.

of the comb.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the comb separated from the cutter plates, section being made substantially at the same plane as in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an upperside plan View of the comb.

Figure 8 is a magnified section of the single comb tooth as at the plane 88 on Figure 1.

The construction shown in the drawings comprises a fixed cutter, 10, which is mounted fast upon the rigid handle, 11, of the tool, and a vibrat ng cutter, 12, mounted and guided for reciprocation upon the fixed cutter transversely of the direction in which the teeth of both cutters project. The shear teeth of the fixed cutter, and those of the vibrating cutter, are of the same length and form, so that the two cutter plates co-operate for shearing to the extreme points of the teeth of both plates.

Upon the underside of the fixed cutter there is mounted by means of dovetailed tongue-and-groove engagement, as seen at 16 on Figure 4, a comb member, 15.

The teeth, 20, of the comb member, 15, are

combing teeth only and not shearing teeth, and the comb performs no shearing, nor other cutting function; but on the contrary, its sole function is that of a comb, which tremity denoted at 20 in Figure 1, where 1t may be seen that the comb teeth extend forward beyond the points of the teeth of the shear blade when the comb is adjusted to the rear limit of its range of adjustment. for bringing the points of the shear teeth as close as they can be set without liability of the vibrating cutter to strike the comb tooth at the end of the under-cut of the latter, wh ch may be seen at 2 0 in Figures 2 and 6. ThlS under-cut it will be observed is formed by the rearwardly-pointing guard, 20, overhanging the fixed position of the teeth of the fixed cutter, 10, and the path of reciprocation of the vibrating cutter, 12, as may be most clearly seen'in Figures 1 and 2.

The comb, 15, is designed to be adjusted for protruding the cutter teeth into the under-cut 20" more or less for purposes hereinafter explained. In Figure 1 it is shown for adjustment for maximum overhang of the guard point, 20; and in Figure 2 it is shown adjusted for the least overhang of said guard point which is consistent with effective operation for the specific purpose for which the overhanging guard is provided; and provision is made for an intermediate adjustment, as may be understood from the three seats shown at l5 (see Figures 2 and 7) and a locking pin, 24, which 1s carried by the fixed cutter and spring pressed for engaging one of the seats, 15, the spring, 25, being retained by the hole in which it is lodged being covered by the easmg, 30, on the underside of which the fixed plate, 16, is mounted fixedly, (designed to be removed only for grind ng the blade.)

Theform of the comb teeth may be best understood by comparison of the Figures 3 and 5 and Figure 8. In Figure 3 it will be seen that these teeth are parallel with each other. and that the opposite longitudinal edges of each tooth are parallel except as to a short portion at the extremity at which the edges converge to a point forming a gap between consecutive teeth widest at the entrance, and narrowing back along the extent of the taper of the teeth terminals as mentioned. And it may be observed that the interval between the teeth at the parallel edged portion of their length issubstantially equal to the width of the teeth; from which it results that the entrance to the gap between the consecutive teeth is twice as wide as the interval between the teeth back of their taper. It may be observed further that the terminal taper of the comb teeth, and consequently the narrowing portion of the gap, corresponds in length substantially to the length of the tooth forward of the rearwardly-projecting overhung guard, 20. The purpose and effeet of this feature of the comb construction is that in advancing the tool into the hair mass on the head, the hairs are parted into groups, and that the hairs of each group are compressed laterally into half the space which they occupied on the scalp at the instant points of the comb teeth entered thehair mass; and being thus compacted as the comb is advanced and the groups crowded back in the narrowing gap, each hair group is wedged between the two consecutive teeth between which it stands and is detained somewhat at the point at which the pinching or wedging reaches the maximum, so that as the barber tilts the tool on the scalp the hairs are lifted as they would be by the comb carried by the hand of the barber, while at the same time the comb is advanced up over the head toward the roots of the hair which are thus held in groups, and the under hairs of the group are first to be forced within range of the cutter by the outer overlying hair mass as the comb is advanced, and at the same time, tilted, lifting the hair, which results in the shingled form of the trim.

This action is further assisted and enforced by the form of the comb teeth, as shown in cross section in Figure 8, and as seen also in front elevation in Figure 5, from which it may be'seen that each tooth is laterally bevelled from both lower and upper edges, being of full thickness,horizontally,about midway between the lower and the upper edge. From this form it results that at the lower edge of the tooth, which in the entering, hair-parting movement, rides on the scalp, the gap for the hair to occupy is in width equal to the width of the gap at the points of the teeth; and that at the middle of the thickness or height-of the hair mass engaged between the teeth, the gap is reduced one-half, and widens from this point upwardly to the full width at the lower side, with the result that the group of hairs, or mass of hair, engaged between two consecutive comb teeth is held shaped somewhat like sheaf of wheat encompassed by a band spreading out fan-wise both above and below the band. And it may be readily understood that the tendency of the hair group thus pinched at one point to fan out at both sides of the line of pinching,

construction is adapted for obtainin overlying mass of hair into which the comb i is being advanced by the barber.

In the use of th's tool the barber desiring v to produce a shingled trim with the minimum stubble length at the starting point, will adjust the comb to the position shown in Figure 1 and applying the tool at the margin of the hair growth-on the back of. the neck or at the templewill tilt or rock the tool on the head of the customer at the thickened part or heel (which affords a downwardly convex bearing, as seen at 4.0) as the tool is advanced up into the hair masson the customers head, graduating the tilting with respect to the rate of advancing according to the grade which he wishes to give to the shingled trim; and if it is desired to produce a close clipped ef-- fect without grading or shingling effect for a limited space, followed by graded or shingled trim, the barber will advance the tool for the limited distance over which close clipping is desired, without tilting it to lift the comb point from the scalp, and will begin the tilting movement after having passed this limited close-clipped area.

Then a less close clipped effect is wanted, the comb will be adjusted forwardly to the position shown in Figure 2, or to an intermediate position utilizing the middle one of the three seats, 15 In either position the the graduated or shingled trim by the simple expedient of tilting the t0ol,rocking it over the heel,-while advancing it up over the head of the customer. And in this operation the provision for the long sloper from the point of the comb teeth back to the curve of the heel at 40 is of considerable importance for facilitating obtaining wider range of graduation of the cut from a given angular rocking movement of the tool.

The fixed cutter plate, 10, as may be seen in Figures 1 and 2, is tapered in thickness from front to rear. This feature of the construction results of necessity from making the comb in a separate piece from the fixed cutter (as is necessary in order that the comb may be adjustable longitudinally of the teeth as described) in order to make the fixed cutter as thin at its edge as is most desirable, since without thus tapering the thickness, and if this plate were made throughout as thin as it is desirable to make it at the forward toothed edge, it would be too thin for stability and safety against being broken in service. -When made tapering in thickness, as shown and described, the plate may be originally,-that is before use necessitating grinding,-desirably-even to an edgethin at the forward points of the cutter teeth, the grinding on the upper side, as necessary for sharpening the cutting edges, operates to slightly shorten the teeth as they are ground away at the upper side for sharpening them, the thickness of the plate back of the points of the teeth being adequate, notwithstanding the teeth may be acute pointed by reason of the slope of the taper for reduction by repeated grindings before the plate becomes too thin for safe use.

I claim:

1. In a hair clipper and the like comprising in combination with a fixed shearing blade and a vibrating blade co-operating therewith, a comb mounted on the under side of the fixed shear blade having comb teeth projecting a substantial distanceforwardly of the line of cut thickened at the forward part to extend across the plane of the cut, and above that plane extending back across the line of cut to form guard terminals overhanging the path of the points of the teeth of the vibrating cutter, the comb being adjustable in the direction of the length of the comb teeth with respect to theline of cut for varying the approximation of the points of the teeth of the vibrating cutter to the guard terminals in the under out formed by said terminals.

2. A hair clipper and the like comprising in combination a fixed tooth blade and a vibrating tooth blade co-operating therewith, a comb mounted upon the under side of the fixed plate having its comb teeth rojecting forwardly from under the teeth of the fixed blade and adjustable slidingly on the fixed blade in the direction of the length of the comb teeth, the fixed blade being thickened taperingly from front to rear throughout the entire distance of the sliding lap thereon of the vibrating blade and the comb.

3. A hair clipper and'the like comprising in combination with a fixed toothed blade, and a vibrating toothed blade co-operating therewith, a comb mounted upon the under side of the fixed blade having its comb teeth projecting forwardly from under the teeth of the fixed blade and being adjustable slidingly on the fixed blade in the direction of the length of the comb teeth, the fixed blade being thickened taperingly from front to rear throughout the entire distance of the lap of the vibrating blade and the comb thereon, said comb and fixed blade having co-operating features for holding them in engagement with their facing surfaces in contact for guiding the comb in fore-andaft adjustment with respect to the fixed blade.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my hand at hicago, Illinois, this 28th of December, 1925.

JOHN H. DON NELLON. 

